The present invention relates to a play table. More specifically, the invention relates to a play table having a storage feature.
The play table described herein can be used to provide a storage base for the elements of a modular building system when a block building plate is provided as the top of the table. However, it should be appreciated that a play table with a planar top could be used for other play purposes by a child.
Tables of one form or another have long been used for storing articles in proximity to a surface on which the articles are used. One common example of this is a desk in which one or more drawers are located below a flat top work surface.
In certain other contexts there is also a heightened need for storing articles in the same table having a work or play surface on which the articles are to be used. Perhaps the best example of this is in the context of children playing with a number of toys. It is desirable that the toys be stored as near as possible to the play location. Storage of the toys in the table reduces the possibility that the toys will be scattered on the floor after play time has ended because a ready toy storage area is available in the table.
One known play table includes a play surface on which a modular building system can be supported. This known structure includes a table top supported either by a plurality of legs or by a central pedestal leg. Storage for the modular building elements is provided in the form of a bag which is detachably secured to the underside of the table. The bag surrounds a through aperture in the table top so that building blocks can be placed in the bag through the aperture. This known design is disadvantageous because the aperture provided in the top reduces the amount of play surface available on the table top. This design is also disadvantageous from the standpoint that the detachable bags are incapable of holding a sizeable quantity of such modular building blocks or other toys. Another known block play table design provides a block building top surface with no storage feature beneath it at all.
Still another known play table design includes a table top defined by a plurality of lids atop bins which are supported by a subjacent board that is held in the frame of the play table. This known design is disadvantageous from the standpoint that the lids need to be removed in order to have access to the bins in which the play items are stored and play cannot resume until the lids are returned atop the bins. In addition, the bins, though there are several in number, can each only hold smaller items as the bins are rather small.
In addition, all of these known play table designs suffer from the disadvantage that they do not have a wide, stable base for securely supporting children who may be leaning or crawling on the tables.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved play table which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.